Fresh from the farm

Christopher Ginn, Voice Correspondent

Tuesday

Jun 12, 2018 at 9:35 AM

Farm to Table 2018 dinner raises $7,200 for West Prairie FFA

MACOMB – Dozens of community members gathered under a balmy June sun on Friday for 2018 Farm-to-Table benefit dinner for West Prairie Future Farmers of America.Guests dined outdoors at tables set with black table cloths, garden arbors, linen napkins and decorative floral table center pieces and sipped beverages from a cash bar while students of the West Prairie FFA served food prepared by Magnolia’s Restaurant and Catering located on Lafayette Street.As preparations were being made to receive guests for the benefit dinner, The Voice caught up with Corinne Biswell who is one of the FFA advisors and agricultural teachers at West Prairie High School in Sciota. Biswell explained that the Farm-to-Table benefit is an annual event held to raise funds for sophomore and senior agricultural high school students in the county. The benefit, she said, is rotated each year between different FFA chapters. “Last year was Macomb FFA, this year it’s West Prairie FFA and next year it will be rotating to the Bushnell-Prairie City FFA,” Biswell said.“FFA is the student organization that goes for students who are in agriculture classes, and many people think that agriculture is only for kids who live on farms, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Biswell said.Agriculture is for everyone who eats, she said. “People think of FFA as cow, plows and sows, but we’re really leaders and achievers. So, the proceeds are going to go to offset the cost for students to attend leadership development events at the local, state and national levels,” Biswell said.“Hopefully,” Biswell continued, “we’ll be able to send students to the national convention next year without a dollar out of pocket for them – and that will be a huge benefit for their families, especially with budgets getting tight in the area.”Raising awareness about our sources of food and establishing a farm-to-city supply chain relationship are aims of the farm-to-table social movement.Lisa Ward, owner of Magnolia’s, styles herself as a food activist through her efforts to establish relationships between her eatery and other restaurants with farmers in the area. Ward explained that it was Steve Terstrip of Industry-based Terstrip Farms who initiated the idea of hosting a farm-to-table event in Macomb to raise awareness among city folk about “how important it is to get up and go to that farmer’s market, and support these farmers – because that’s what is America was built on.”“So, it make cost a little more, it may take a little longer, but by golly, the difference in fresh asparagus melting in your mouth like butter compared to something that came from Argentina, let me tell you, it’s a big difference,” Ward said. “And yeah, it might cost a little more, but we really want this whole farm-to-table movement to succeed,” Ward continued. “This is not a farm dinner; this is farm-to-table for the city folks so they understand how important it is.”Menu items were sourced or donated from local and regional producers, including:Starters• Andouille Bite, donated by Terstriep Farms; custom blended by Kabricks• Buzzy Bruschetta, honey donated by Pleasant View FarmsSalad• Twisted Citron Salad, donated by JNJ Farms, Good Hope Gardens and Cathy Waller’s “Oil for That”Main Stage• Grilled Tarragon Steak, sourced by Adam and Mike McMillian• Gin Gin Pork and Green Garlic, donated by Terstreip Farms• Pasta Primavera, donated by Syndey Null, sourced from Macomb Food Co-Op• Accompaniments donated by Good Hope GardensFinale• Slice of Heaven, donated by Hickory Grove Farms and Magnolia’s